In 1985 Brecon Town Council awarded the Gurkhas, based in Dering Lines in Brecon, Honourary Citizenship of Brecon and also the 'Freedom of the Town', in honour of their contributions to the local community. Every year since then, on the first Sunday of September, Gurkha Company (Mandalay) and the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas stage the annual Freedom Parades. Since then, other towns in the UK, such as Folkestone and Maidestone have similarly honoured their Gurkha communities.